Booklists

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2015 award winners from the American Library Association. Read them, and see for yourself why they won!

2015 Newbery Medal Books

The Winner:

The CrossoverAlexander, KwameFourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.J FICTION ALEXANDERChildren’s Fiction

Honors:

Brown Girl DreamingWoodson, Jacqueline“Jacqueline Woodson, one of today’s finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. Praise for Jacqueline Woodson: Ms. Woodson writes with a sure understanding of the thoughts of young people, offering a poetic, eloquent narrative that is not simply a story, but a mature exploration of grown-up issues and self-discovery”-The New York Times Book Review”– Provided by publisher.J BIO WOODSONChildren’s Biography Teen Biography

El DeafoBell, CeceThe author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing loss at a young age, including using a bulky hearing aid, learning how to lip read, and determining her “superpower.”J GRAPHIC BELLChildren’s Graphic

2015 Caldecott Medal Books

Winner:

Santat, DanThe Adventures Of Beekle : The Unimaginary FriendAn imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, and finally does the unimaginable–he sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world.J EASY SANTATChildren’s Picturebook

Honors:

Nana In The CityCastillo, LaurenA young boy is frightened by how busy and noisy the city is when he goes there to visit his Nana, but she makes him a fancy red cape that keeps him from being scared as she shows him how wonderful a place it is.J EASY CASTILLOChildren’s Picturebook

Sam & Dave Dig A HoleBarnett, MacSam and Dave are sure they will discover something exciting if they just keep digging their hole.J EASY BARNETTChildren’s Picturebook

The Right Word : Roget And His ThesaurusBryant, JenniferThe story of “shy young Peter Mark Roget, [for whom] books were the best companions–and it wasn’t long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn’t write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time”–Amazon.com.J BIO ROGETChildren’s Biography

This One SummerTamaki, MarikoRose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach since she was a little girl. It’s her summer getaway, her refuge. Her friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had, completing her summer family. But this summer is different. Rose’s mom and dad won’t stop fighting, and Rose and Windy have gotten tangled up in a tragedy-in-the-making in the small town of Awago Beach. It’s a summer of secrets and heartache, and it’s a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.Y GRAPHIC THIS ONE Teen Graphic Fiction

2014 Robert F. Siebert Informational Book Medal Books

Winner:

The Right Word : Roget And His ThesaurusBryant, JenniferThe story of “shy young Peter Mark Roget, [for whom] books were the best companions–and it wasn’t long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn’t write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time”–Amazon.com.J BIO ROGETChildren’s Biography

Honors:

Brown Girl DreamingWoodson, Jacqueline“Jacqueline Woodson, one of today’s finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. Praise for Jacqueline Woodson: Ms. Woodson writes with a sure understanding of the thoughts of young people, offering a poetic, eloquent narrative that is not simply a story, but a mature exploration of grown-up issues and self-discovery”-The New York Times Book Review”– Provided by publisher.J BIO WOODSONChildren’s Biography Teen Biography

Josephine : The Dazzling Life Of Josephine BakerPowell, Patricia HrubyIn exuberant verse and stirring pictures, Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson create an extraordinary portrait of the passionate performer and civil rights advocate Josephine Baker, the woman who worked her way from the slums of St. Louis to the grandest stages in the world. Meticulously researched by both author and artist, Josephine’s powerful story of struggle and triumph is an inspiration and a spectacle, just like the legend herself.J BIO BAKERChildren’s Biography

Separate Is Never Equal : Sylvia Mendez & Her Familys Fight For DesegregationTonatiuh, Duncan“Years before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez, an eight-year-old girl of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, played an instrumental role in Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark desegregation case of 1946 in California”–J 379.263 TONATIUHChildren’s Nonfiction

The Family Romanov : Murder Rebellion & The Fall Of Imperial RussiaFleming, CandaceFrom the acclaimed author of Amelia Lost and The Lincolns comes a heartrending narrative nonfiction page-turner–and a perfect resource for meeting Common Core standards. When Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II, inherited the throne in 1894, he was unprepared to do so. With their four daughters (including Anastasia) and only son, a hemophiliac, Nicholas and his reclusive wife, Alexandra, buried their heads in the sand, living a life of opulence as World War I raged outside their door and political unrest grew into the Russian Revolution. Deftly maneuvering between the lives of the Romanovs and the plight of Russia’s peasants and urban workers–and their eventual uprising–Fleming offers up a fascinating portrait, complete with inserts featuring period photographs and compelling primary-source material that brings it all to life.Y BIO ROMANOV, HOUSE OF 2014Teen Biography

For more information about these awards, please visit the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) website.